This Thursday, Be Thankful for Your Options

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and many college students are planning to head home to celebrate. It’s no easy feat, either: With the cost of travel and the chaos attached to traveling during one of the busiest weeks of the year, it’s not always possible for students to get home for the break. That doesn’t mean that Thanksgiving has to go out the window; in fact, there are tons of alternatives to traditional Thanksgiving for college students staying on campus.

Volunteer your time. While not being able to be with your family might be upsetting, there are many others who have it worse. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to volunteer at a soup kitchen or shelter. Doing so can really strengthen your gratitude and teach you to show your appreciation for what you do have.

Skype with your family. It might not be the same as being there in the flesh but you can still partake in your family’s holiday thanks to technology. It could very well be your Thanksgiving tradition for four years!

Whatever you decide to do for Thanksgiving, make sure you stop and give thanks for all the great things in your life. And remember, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are just a few short weeks away! Have you ever spent your Thanksgiving on campus? How did you celebrate? Let us know in the comments.

Angela Andaloro is a junior at Pace University’s New York City campus, where she is double majoring in communication studies and English. Like most things in New York City, her life and college experience is far from typical – she commutes to school from her home in Flushing and took nearly a semester’s worth of classes online – but she still likes to hang out with friends, go to parties and feed her social networking addiction like your “average” college student.

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